PISCATAWAY – The Rutgers athletic department continues to make the grade across the board in academics, and as a reward it is about to get bumped to the conference equivalent of an honors class.

Led by football — which posted the 10th highest Academic Progress Rate score (980) in the nation to return to the Top 10 for the sixth time in seven years — and double-digit score improvements in men’s and women’s basketball, Rutgers had all 23 of its teams score at least a respectable 954 on the 1,000-point scale Wednesday when the NCAA released its complete four-year APR scores ending with the 2012-13 academic year.

For the second straight year, women’s golf and women’s lacrosse registered Rutgers’ only perfect scores over the previous four-year evaluation period.

Football’s score was tops in the American Athletic Conference and tied for second in the Big Ten. Over the last seven years, only Rutgers has won four bowl games and had seven Top 10 percent APR scores.

“I felt all along that when invited to the Big Ten it really was the conference that we fit into,” Rutgers football coach Kyle Flood said. “I thought that the value systems we have in place at the university and as a football program fit with what the Big Ten Conference was looking for. Excellence in athletics and excellence in academics: We’ve always preached both of those. I think you can have both of those.”

APR provides a real-time look at a team’s academic success each semester or quarter by tracking the academic progress of each student-athlete. Scores take into consideration eligibility, retention, and graduation in the calculation and provides a clear picture of the academic culture in each sport.

In order to compete in the 2014-15 postseason, teams must achieve a 930 multi-year APR or a 940 average over the two most recent years. A total of 36 teams nationally are ineligible, up from just 13 last year.

The Big Ten had 66 teams recognized as Top 10 percent in their respective sports, trailing only the ACC (77), Patriot League (94) and Ivy League (117). Minnesota and Northwestern led the way with 12 each.

Men’s basketball posted its highest-ever four-year APR score of 978. That ranks third in the AAC, behind Louisville (1,000) and Memphis (1,000), and would have tied for sixth in the 14-team Big Ten.

For the single 2012-13 academic year, the men’s basketball program scored a 1,000 — its third straight perfect year. The Scarlet Knights made big strides academically under former coach Mike Rice; it was 948 when Rice took over in 2010.

Not to be outdone, women’s basketball’s four-year score also increased its highest level (984) since data began being tabulated in 2004-05 — good for a 23-point improvement thanks to its second straight 1,000-point academic year. The four-year score ranked second in the AAC and sixth in the Big Ten.

Wrestling went in the other direction as its score slipped 20 points to a 954, which ranked 13th in the EIAW and 12th in the Big Ten. That is still well above the threshold at which penalties come into play.

The Seton Hall men’s basketball team also posted its highest-ever score, a 979 that ranked third in the Big East, behind Butler (985) and Villanova (983). The Pirates have improved their score every year under Kevin Willard, who took over a program that was at 935.

The national multi-year average four-year rate is 951 in football, 957 in men’s basketball and 973 in women’s basketball.